The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1887-02-18

"0AiI" vs.. JAMES
~ SAssrsas way - which James q.
nlsLss aud sis DlstIng aIshsd Cousin Treat
shs wage Question:.
Let Us call Gail Hamilton a. a wit
ness. against her distinguished cousin.
James @. Blaine. She might be- called
also rs witness against herself, but
II will suffice on this occasion % use
her testimony only against the states
man from Maine. In suggesting REM
edies for the unhappy condition Of the
working-womcn Of the metropolis. IL
has been found that the majority Of the
people who have taken an interest in
the matter have inclined to the idea
that IL the women would more gener-
ally seek domestic employment they
would be better of. Gail Ham
ilton holds to this view. She
also has some other opinions on
this subject, rs she does on
nearly every thing else. = Never.
while the world lasts" SAYS she.
''can you expect to receive twelve dol
lars for work which twelve other
women are willing to do for six dollars.
If you were man, If you were a
millionaire, il you were q voter. 1t
would make no difference. You can
never force your employer to employ
you at twelve dollars If he can hire
some one else to do the same work for
six dollars. You have no right to ex-
III. To DO. Il
extortion. or inhumanity in him not to
do it. 1t is extortion in you to ask him
TO do it. II he should undertake it he
would fail in business and you would
be worse of than before. because you
would have no work at all. You would
then be one Of the dozens waiting at
no price instead Of the one employed
at low price. This law is absolute.
1t applies to the millionaire just a.
strongly as to the sewing girl"
How different would Cousin james.
Of Maine, talk to the half-starved sew
ing women Of New York. to their sis
tiers who exc out . miserable living in
factories and stores. and to the dissat-
isfied laborer generally. Cousin james
would say: ''Your wages are low be-
cause you are not protected enough.
You must keep the Democrats out Of
power. Just look at the condition that
you are now in. 1t is the result Of fear
on the part Of your employers that the
Democrats will change the tariff laws
They have unsettled confidence all over
the country. Do you observe the col
ored man in the SOUTH 1t is the inten-
ton Of the Democrats to keep him in
ignorance so that they can use him as
cheap laborer. Where will you be when
the South begins manufacturing with
negro labor employed at one-half what
you earn' TIE way to regulate wages
Is to elect Re publicans to Office. Some
rascals will tell you that wages are not
affected by law. That is false. You
may think that you have hardships,
but YOU are mistaken. The trouble
with the American working-man j.
that he Is too well of. He is pro-
tected by the tariff. and all the
money that his employers get out Of
that benefcent scheme goes into his
pockets. Supply and demand have
nothing to do with labor. Vote the
ticket and wages will al
ways be high They are high now. If
you only think so.'
For the last fifteen years Mr.. Blaine
and Gail Hamilton have been attempt-
ing to convince the American people |
that there Is potency in law to raise |
wages They have made that their
stock in trade. II they were to be be-
licved all that was necessary to make
labor contented was to pass law to
that effect Supply and demand had
nothing to do with the question. By
giving employers monopoly privileges
he working-man was bound to be
'harer in them whether . dozen stood
-eady to take his place at half the
wages that he wanted or not. Gail
sudden conversion to com
non sense and common honesty leads
me to hope that the day may not be
az distant when her celebrated rela-
i've will also abandon demagogy and
urprise his follow citizens by address
ne them in words Of truth and sober
less. - Chicago Herald.